Horus Heresy Chronology
Horus Lupercal]] Presented below is the Horus Heresy Chronology, an exhaustive listing of all known campaigns and battles that occurred during the nine-year-long, galaxy-wide conflict known as the Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium. By no means is this list complete, as much of the information presented in various canon sources is often ambiguous and even at times contradictory. Therefore, this is merely a rough guide to the chronological order of the events during this conflict and no date should be taken as absolutely final should new evidence come to light. The Prelude to Heresy Below is a chronology of the events immediately preceding the start of the interstellar civil war later called the Horus Heresy. Though Horus turned to the service of Chaos several standard years before the start of the conflict, the Heresy only officially began with the Istvaan III Atrocity. *'003.M31 Contact Lost with the Istvaan System' - Six Terran years after the last official communiqué from Istvaan III, a Death Guard patrol ship on the outer edge of the XIV Legion's fleet picked up an incomplete astrotelepathic transmission which indicated that Istvaan III was in open religious rebellion against the Imperium. The Imperial planetary government had collapsed, and the Planetary Governor Vardus Praal, now a turncoat and perhaps become a mutant or psyker, was leading the revolt. *'004.M31 Plague Moon Campaign and the Fall of Horus' - The Warmaster Horus is grievously wounded while fighting rebels on the moon of Davin. He is healed within the ancient Serpent Lodge on the moon but though his life is saved, his soul is forfeit to the Ruinous Powers. From this day forth he makes his plans to bring the Imperium to ruin and topple the Emperor from power. Though his treachery and malign intent remain hidden, he begins his far-reaching conspiracy to suborn those of his brother Primarchs' Space Marine Legions and the other military forces of the Imperium who will aid him and neutralise the threat of those who will not serve him where he can. He prepares in secret over the next two Terran years to fight a sudden and ruthless galactic civil war. *'004-009.M31 Signus Cluster Campaign' - The bulk of the Blood Angels Legion is dispatched through the machinations of the Warmaster Horus to the distant Signus Cluster to put down a local uprising. Knowing the IX Legion will never join his cause and fearing their Primarch Sanguinius, Horus sets his trap at Signus Prime, where the Blood Angels are beset by a foe none have ever faced before, the daemonic legions of the Ruinous Powers, and assailed by terrifying psychic assaults and distortions of reality. *'004.M31 The Destruction of Olympia' - While the Iron Warriors Legion was cleansing the world of Gugann of a major infiltration of the infamous xenoform known as the Hrud, the long-lived Satrap of Olympia died. With the death of the Tyrant of Lochos, the Iron Warriors' homeworld erupted into infighting and insurrection. The population had taken up arms against the Imperium following many solar years of relentless anti-Imperial propaganda by the dead Tyrant. Tired of repeatedly having to prove himself, and enraged at the disregard of his fellow Legiones Astartes who have left his Legion to carry out dishonourable work as garrison forces, the Primarch Perturabo and the Iron Warriors brutally suppressed the rebellion on the streets of the city-states of Olympia. No one was spared. It was the principle of surrender or no quarter, and the Iron Warriors had grown accustomed to granting no quarter. Perturabo watched as the Olympian fortifications in which he had once taken such pride were overcome. By the time the massacre was over, Olympia had been culled into slavery. Five million civilians had been killed in the process. Horrified at what he had done in his rage, Perturabo knows the Emperor will never forgive him. But Horus offers him another path... *'004.M31 Destruction of the Auretian Technocracy' - The already corrupt Horus assassinates the Auretian Technocracy's leader, the Fabricator Consul, who represented the independent human government, in order to obtain highly-coveted lost Standard Template Construct data. Horus later uses this illicitly recovered STC database to entice Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal of the Mechanicum to join the Traitor cause. This plants the seeds of the Dark Mechanicum's birth and the eventual Schism of Mars. *'004.M31 Battle of Tarsus' -The Primarch Fulgrim meets with the renowned Aeldari Farseer Eldrad Ulthran of Craftworld Ulthwé on the Maiden World of Tarsus, in which the Farseer attempted to warn Fulgrim of the Warmaster Horus' corruption by Chaos. Ultrhan explains that Horus has been fallen to the Dark Gods after being wounded by a malefic Chaos blade known as the Kinebrach Anathame at the hands of the Traitor Eugen Temba upon Davin's Nurgle-corrupted moon. Fulgrim reacted with violent outrage at the Farseer's accusations due to his close kinship with his brother Horus. This outrage was further enhanced by the corrupting influence of Fulgrim's daemon-possessed Blade of the Laer, which darkly influenced the Primarch to reject the Aeldari's truth and provoked Fulgrim into launching an unprovoked and furious attack on Eldrad and his retinue alongside his Emperor's Children Captains and his personal Phoenix Guard. In the battle that ensued, the Emperor's Children slew both the revered Aeldari Wraithlord Khiraen Goldhelm and a potent Avatar of Khaine, which forced the Farseer and the other Aeldari troops to sorrowfully withdraw, as they realised that Chaos had already claimed yet another of the Mon-Keigh's Primarchs. Yet they succeeded in killing all of Fulgrim's elite personal Phoenix Guard before their departure. Believing the Aeldari had proven themselves a treacherous xenos race that sought to divide and conquer the Imperium by spreading such lies about its leaders, Fulgrim, again under the increasing influence of the Laer daemonblade, ordered the destruction of several other beautiful Aeldari Maiden Worlds using hideous Virus Bombs. *'ca. 004.M31 Battle of Deep Orbital DS191' - Following his delegation to the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet, Fulgrim announced to his senior commanders that he would lead a small force to join his brother Primarch Ferrus Manus and his Iron Hands at Callinedes IV in the Callinedes System under the pretense of clearing it of an Ork infestation. The Emperor's Children Primarch spearheaded the assault during the pacification of Deep Orbital DS191, leading the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Companies. During the assault, Captain Solomon Demeter, commander of the Emperor's Children's 2nd Company, found himself unsupported by the 1st and 3rd Companies as the battle-plan had laid out. Overextended and in real danger of being cut off and destroyed, the 2nd Company was only saved from certain destruction by the unplanned and timely arrival of the 10th and 13th Companies under the commands of Captains Saul Tarvitz and Lucius, two junior officers that Demeter had found himself associating more and more with as he was systematically frozen out by the III Legion's high command. A dark shroud hung over Lord Commander Vespasian after witnessing these dishonourable actions. He felt obliged to act after he observed Solomon Demeter's 2nd Company being intentionally abandoned by both Captain Kaesoron's and Vairosean's companies. It was a decision that would cost the honourable Astartes his life when he was murdered by the Chaos-corrupted Fulgrim himself. *'734.004.M31 The Fall of Prospero' - Magnus the Red, Primarch of the Thousand Sons Legion, learns of his brother Horus' fall to Chaos and attempts to warn the Emperor using psychic arts forbidden by the edict of the Council of Nikaea. His psychic transmission inadvertently unmakes the psychic wards of his father's attempt to create an Imperial extension to the Aeldari Webway. The Emperor was secretly building this extension deep beneath the Imperial Palace on Terra with the aid of the Golden Throne and the Mechanicum. With the wards collapsed, daemons begin to flood into the corridors of the Imperial Webway and the Emperor is forced to remain on the Golden Throne to prevent the breach from spilling into the Imperial Palace itself. The Space Wolves, Sisters of Silence and a detachment of the Legio Custodes are ordered to form a Retribution Fleet and bring Magnus to Terra from Prospero in chains to answer for his violation of the Edicts of Nikaea forbidding him from using sorcery. Seeing an opportunity, the Warmaster Horus intervenes and convinces his brother Leman Russ that Magnus' crime is so dire that his life is forfeit and Magnus should never set foot upon Terra alive. The Space Wolves assault the Thousand Sons' homeworld and raze its capital city of Tizca to ashes. While Magnus escapes into the Warp with the aid of Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways, his Legion is reduced to but a thousand warriors. Bitter at his treatment by the Emperor, Magnus schemes to join Horus' rebellion. *'005-006.M31 Schism of Mars' - Fabricator-General of the Mechanicum Kelbor-Hal turns against the Imperium and plunges Mars into civil war, those loyal to Terra and the Emperor as the Omnissiah forced to abandon the Red Planet. Elsewhere, the Schism of Mars sunders the feudal order of the Mechanicum and its bonds with the Imperium. Many Forge Worlds side with the Traitors, others with the Emperor and still others declare independence from either side. So likewise are the Mechanicum's Titan Legions, the Skitarii Legions and the powerful Forge World Taghmata riven with division. *'005.M31 Battle of Istvaan Extremis' - The elite 1st Company of the Emperor's Children Legion fought in concert with the Death Guard Legion's 7th Battle Company under the command of Battle-Captain Nathaniel Garro, against traitorous forces on Istvaan Extremis, the outermost planet within the Istvaan System. Whilst fighting against a powerful Slaaneshi psyker known as a Warsinger, Garro sustained serious injuries; crushing damage to his torso and arm as well as the loss of his right leg from the mid-thigh down. He was only saved from certain death by the timely ministrations of the Emperor's Children Legion's Chief Apothecary Fabius. Taking stock of the desperate situation, the Emperor's Children Lord Commander Eidolon made use of a hitherto unknown ability -- a modified tracheal implant bonded with the Lord Commander's vocal chords that allowed him to produce a nerve-paralysing shriek similar to that employed by certain warrior breeds of the xenos Laer. This powerful ability killed the Warsinger and helped the Astartes carry the day. The Heresy Chronology Presented below is a chronological listing of the events of the Age of Darkness which fell upon the Imperium of Man during the Horus Heresy of the early 31st Millennium. The following information was compiled by manifold and diverse hands at the order of Malcador the Sigillite and the Acting Council of Terra following the outbreak, as well as during, the major events of the Horus Heresy. As more information surrounding this dark era of human history is uncovered in newly discovered Imperial records, it will be added to the chronology. *'008.M31 Battle of Nuceria' - At the climax of the Battle of Nuceria during the conclusion of the Shadow Crusade, whilst in combat with Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch Angron of the World Eaters reaches a nadir of pain, bitterness and rage which forms a conduit between him and the Warp. Guilliman and his Ultramarines are forced to withdraw as his brother is ravaged by Empyreal energies and is transformed into a Daemon Prince of Khorne, the Blood God. *'011.M31 The Marches of Madness' - The World Eaters made seemingly senseless raids on population centres across the Ultima Segmentum. Their brutal attacks are aimed at causing maximum human casualties, ignoring both infrastructure and military targets. The attacks are accompanied by unseasonal violent storms and unnatural crimson cloud bursts. The World Eaters have come fully under the grip of Khorne and now seek only more blood for the Blood God's unending thirst. Immediate Post-Heresy Chronology Included below are events that took place following the immediate end of the Horus Heresy, many of which directly (or indirectly) were affected by the final campaigns of the galaxy-wide civil conflict that ravaged thousands of worlds and cost hundreds of billions of lives. See Also *'Horus Heresy' *'Great Crusade' *'Great Crusade Chronology' *'Emperor of Mankind' *'Primarch' Sources *''Codex: Chaos Space Marines'' (6th Edition), pp. 6, 8-12, 14, 20, 23, 40, 48, 57, 62, 69 *''Codex: Chaos Space Marines'' (4th Edition), pp. 12-15, 22, 46 *''Codex: Chaos Space Marines'' (3rd Edition, 1st Revision), pp. 4-5, 44 *''Codex: Chaos Space Marines'' (3rd Edition), pg. 22 *''Codex: Chaos'' (2nd Edition), pp. 8-11, 17-18, 98-99 *''Codex: Grey Knights'' (5th Edition), pg. 6 *''Codex Imperialis'' (2nd Edition), pp. 10, 16, 20 *''Dark Heresy: Blood of Martyrs'' (RPG), pg. 7-9, 27, 104-105 *''Dark Heresy: Daemon Hunter'' (RPG), pg. 7 *''Dark Heresy: The Radical's Handbook'' (RPG), pp. 78, 80, 93, 120 *''Deathwatch: Core Rulebook'' (RPG), pp. 12-13, 39, 41, 43-45, 48-49, 53, 79, 164, 182, 322-323, 361 *''Deathwatch: First Founding'' (RPG), pp. 4, 7, 14, 16, 21, 27-28, 41, 47, 54, 67, 76-94, 116, 127 *''Deathwatch: Honour the Chapter'' (RPG), pp. 5, 9, 13, 60, 66, 74, 82, 89, 104, 139, *''Index Astartes I'', "The Unforgiven - The Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter," "Children of the Emperor - The Emperor's Children Space Marine Legion," "Bitter and Twisted - The Iron Warriors Space Marine Legion," "Lightning Attack - The White Scars Space Marine Chapter," "Blood Frenzy - The Flesh Tearers Space Marine Chapter," "Warriors of Old - Space Marine Dreadnoughts," "Psykana Librarius - Space Marine Librarians" *''Index Astartes II'', "Wolves of Fenris - The Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter," "Emperor's Fist - The Imperial Fists Space Marine Chapter," "Bringers of Darkness - The Night Lords Space Marine Legion," "Angels of Death - The Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter," "Righteous Zeal - The Black Templars Space Marine Chapter," "For the Emperor - Space Marine Chaplains" *''Index Astartes III'', "Hand of Justice - The Iron Hands Space Marine Chapter," "Chosen of Khorne - The World Eaters Space Marine Legion," "Warriors of Ultramar - The Ultramarines Space Marine Chapter," "The Lost and the Damned - The Death Guard Space Marine Legion," "Masters of Forbidden Knowledge - The Thousand Sons Space Marine Legion" *''Index Astartes IV'', "Sons of Horus - The Black Legion Space Marine Legion," "Dark Apostles - The Word Bearers Space Marine Legion," "Promethean Warriors - The Salamanders Space Marine Chapter," "Claws of the Raven - The Raven Guard Space Marine Chapter," "The Enemy Within - The Alpha Legion Space Marine Legion," "Bloodied Fist - The Crimson Fists Space Marine Chapter," "Deep Strike - Tactical Dreadnought Armour" *''Realm of Chaos: The Lost and the Damned'' (2nd Edition), pp. 9, 164, 177-184 *''Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness'' (2nd Edition), pp. 240-241, 243-244, 268 *''The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh *''The Horus Heresy - Book Two: Massacre'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh *''The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh *''The Horus Heresy - Book Four: Conquest'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh *''The Horus Heresy - Book Five: Tempest'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh *''The Horus Heresy - Book Six: Retribution'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh *''The Horus Heresy - Book Seven: Inferno'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 22-32, 38, 65 *''The Horus Heresy - Book Eight: Malevolence'' (Forge World Series) by Neil Wylie and Anuj Malhotra, pp. 12-13 *''The Horus Heresy: Collected Visions'' (Background Book) *''Visions of Heresy'' (Artbook) by Alan Merrett *''Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook'' (6th Edition), pp. 137, 158, 160-161, 168, 183, 186, 225, 228, 380, 403 *''White Dwarf'' 332 (US), "Chaos Space Marines", pg. 16 *''White Dwarf'' 274 (US), "Chapter Approved: Chaos Space Marine Legions" *''White Dwarf'' 268 (US), "Assault on Holy Terra", "Abaddon the Despoiler" & "Index Astartes First Founding: Sons of Horus, The Black Legion Space Marine Chapter" *''White Dwarf'' 265 (AUS), "Index Astartes - The Death Guard" *''Horus Rising'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett *''The Wolf of Ash and Fire'' (Novella) by Graham McNeil *''Promethean Sun'' (Novella) by Nick Kyme *''Feat of Iron'' (Novella) by Nick Kyme *''False Gods'' (Novel) by Graham McNeill *''Galaxy In Flames'' (Novel) by Ben Counter *''Flight of the Eisenstein'' (Novel) by James Swallow *''Fulgrim'' (Novel) by Graham McNeill *''The Reflection Crack'd'' (Novella) by Graham McNeill *''Descent of Angels'' (Novel) by Mitchel Scanlon *''Legion'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett *''Battle For the Abyss'' (Novel) by Ben Counter *''Mechanicum'' (Novel) by Graham McNeill *''Tales of Heresy'' (Anthology) edited by Nick Kyme & Lindsey Priestly *''Fallen Angels'' (Novel) by Mike Lee *''A Thousand Sons'' (Novel) by Graham McNeill *''Nemesis'' (Novel) by James Swallow *''The First Heretic'' (Novel) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden *''Prospero Burns'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett *''Age of Darkness'' (Anthology) edited by Christian Dunn *''The Iron Within'' (Novella) by Rob Sanders *''The Last Remembrancer'' (Novella) by John French *''The Face of Treachery'' (Novella) by Gav Thorpe *''Liar's Due'' (Novella) by James Swallow *''Little Horus'' (Novella) by Dan Abnett *''Rebirth'' (Novella) by Chris Wraight *''Savage Weapons'' (Novella) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden *''Rules of Engagement'' (Novella) by Graham McNeill *''Forgotten Sons'' (Novella) by Nick Kyme *''The Outcast Dead'' (Novel) by Graham McNeill *''Deliverance Lost'' (Novel) by Gav Thorpe *''Corax: Soulforge'' (Novella) by Gav Thorpe *''Know No Fear'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett *''The Primarchs'' (Anthology) edited by Christian Dunn *''The Serpent Beneath'' (Novella) by Rob Sanders *''Brotherhood of the Storm'' (Novel) by Chris Wraight *''Know No Fear'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett *''Honour to the Dead'' (Novella) by Gav Thorpe *''Fear To Tread'' (Novel) by James Swallow *''Shadows of Treachery'' (Anthology) edited by Christian Dunn *''Aurelian'' (Novella) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden *''Army of One'' (Short Story) by Rob Sanders *''Angel Exterminatus'' (Novel) by Graham McNeill *''Tallarn: Executioner'' (Novel) by John French *''Betrayer'' (Novel) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden *''The Purge'' (Novel) by Anthony Reynolds *''Mark of Calth'' (Anthology) Edited by Laurie Goulding *''Dark Heart'' (Ebook) by Anthony Reynolds *''The Scripts: Volume 1'' (Anthology) Edited by Christian Dunn *''The Weakness of Others'' (Short Story) by Laurie Goulding *''The Crimson Fist'' (Novella) by John French *''Prince of Crows'' (Novella) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden *''The Lion'' (Novella) by Gav Thorpe *''Kryptos'' (Ebook) by Graham McNeill *''The Gates of Terra'' (Ebook) by Nick Kyme *''Vulkan Lives'' (Novel) by Nick Kyme *''Scorched Earth'' (Novella) by Nick Kyme *''The Unremembered Empire'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett *''Censure'' (Novel) by Nick Kyme *''Scars'' (Novel) by Chris Wraight *''Ravenlord'' (Novel) by Gav Thorpe *''The Devine Adoratrice'' (Novella) by Graham McNeill *''Vengeful Spirit'' (Novel) by Graham McNeill *''The Damnation of Pythos'' (Novel) by David Annandale *''The Dark King & The Lightning Tower'' (Audio Drama) by Graham McNeill & Dan Abnett *''Strike and Fade'' (Audio Drama) by Guy Haley *''Raven's Flight'' (Audio Drama) by Gav Thorpe *''Warmaster'' (Audio Drama) by John French *''Butcher's Nails'' (Audio Drama) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden *''Garro: Oath of Moment'' (Audio Drama) by James Swallow *''Garro: Legion of One'' (Audio Drama) by James Swallow *''Garro: Sword of Truth'' (Audio Drama) by James Swallow *''Garro: Burden of Duty'' (Audio Drama) by James Swallow *''Garro: Grey Angel'' (Audio Drama) by John French *''Veritas Ferrum'' (Audio Drama) by David Annandale *''Wolf Hunt'' (Audio Drama) by Graham McNeill *''The Sigillite'' (Audio Drama) by Chris Wraight *''Hunter's Moon'' (Audio Drama) by Guy Haley *''Templar'' (Audio Drama) by John French *''Kharn: The Eightfold Path'' (Audio Drama) by Anthony Reynolds *''Cypher: Guardian of the Order'' (Audio Drama) by Gav Thorpe *''Lucius: The Eternal Blade'' (Audio Drama) by Graham McNeill *''Echoes of Ruin'' (Audio Drama) *''Wolf's Claw'' (Audio Drama) by Chris Wraight *''Thief of Revelations'' (Audio Drama) by Graham McNeill Category:H Category:Campaigns Category:Chaos Category:Chaos Campaigns Category:Chaos Space Marines Category:History Category:Imperium Category:Imperial Campaigns Category:Imperial History Category:Space Marines